CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Planta Medica International Open 2022; 9(01): e108-e115
DOI: 10.1055/a-1821-6332
Original Papers

Coix Seed Extract Prevents Inflammation-mediated Skin Dryness Induced by Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Exposure in HR-1 Hairless Mice

Feng Li
1   Kampo Research Laboratories, Kracie Pharmaceutical Ltd., Japan
,
Yusuke Nakanishi
1   Kampo Research Laboratories, Kracie Pharmaceutical Ltd., Japan
,
Kenta Murata
1   Kampo Research Laboratories, Kracie Pharmaceutical Ltd., Japan
,
Kanako Shinguchi
1   Kampo Research Laboratories, Kracie Pharmaceutical Ltd., Japan
,
Nina Fujita
1   Kampo Research Laboratories, Kracie Pharmaceutical Ltd., Japan
,
Shigeki Chiba
1   Kampo Research Laboratories, Kracie Pharmaceutical Ltd., Japan
,
Ryuji Takahashi
1   Kampo Research Laboratories, Kracie Pharmaceutical Ltd., Japan
› Author Affiliations
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Abstract

Skin inflammation and dryness are the features of surfactant-induced irritant contact dermatitis, a common skin disorder. In Japan, Coix seed (CS, Coix lacryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf) is widely used as a traditional medicine and functional supplement to treat skin inflammation and dry skin. However, the efficacy of CS against surfactant-induced skin disorders has not been reported. Here, we investigated the effect of CS on inflammatory dry skin disorders induced by multiple topical applications of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), a representative anionic surfactant. Male HR-1 hairless mice received a water extract of CS for four weeks. Three weeks after CS administration, the dorsal skin of the mice was exposed once daily to 10% SDS for five days. CS efficacy was then evaluated by measuring epidermal water content; erythema index; severity of skin scaling; epidermal thickness; inflammatory cell infiltration; production of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2); and protein expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), in the dorsal skin. Administration of CS markedly attenuated the SDS-induced reduction in epidermal water content, elevated erythema index, and severity of skin scaling. Histological analysis demonstrated that CS suppressed epidermal hyperplasia and macrophage infiltration in SDS-exposed skin. Furthermore, CS significantly prevented SDS-induced production of IL-1α and PGE2, as well as COX-2 upregulation. These results indicate that CS prevents SDS-induced inflammation-mediated skin dryness by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory mediators.

Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 27 September 2021
Received: 09 February 2022

Accepted: 06 April 2022

Article published online:
30 May 2022

© 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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